UP Deep Creek Bridge (Belvue)

Name	UP Deep Creek Bridge (Belvue) Union Pacific Railroad Bridge #94.98
Built By
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York (1905 Spans) Paxton-Vierling Iron Works of Omaha, Nebraska (East Approach)
Length	145 Feet Total, 50 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder and Steel Stringer
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1905, East Approach Added 1938
Traffic Count	5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number	94.98
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	12/31/2019

After the Pacific Railway Act of 1862, numerous railroads were charting routes from the Midwest to the Pacific using federal land grants. The Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railroad was initially authorized by the Kansas Legislature in 1855, and changed the name to the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division (UP-ED) in 1863. In 1864, the UP-ED began construction on a 40 mile railroad line, extending from Kansas City, Missouri westwards towards Denver. The railroad reached Salina, Kansas by 1865, and an additional 97 miles to Fort Riley, Kansas opened in 1866. In 1867, an additional 152 miles to Hays, Kansas would open to traffic, followed by an additional 116 miles to McAllaster, Colorado in 1869. The UP-ED would be merged into the Kansas Pacific Railway (KP) in 1869. The KP continued construction westwards, constructing an additional 234 miles to Denver, Colorado in 1870. The KP was sold to the Union Pacific Railway in 1880. The railroad would change its name to the Union Pacific Railroad in 1901. The UP had constructed a vast network of railroads, extending from the Missouri River westwards. This route served as a secondary mainline for the railroad, roughly paralleling the First Transcontinental Railroad, which was constructed north of this line in Nebraska. Between 1901 and 1905, significant upgrades were made to this line, including realignments and new bridges, and a second track from Kansas City to Topeka was constructed in 1906. Since the initial construction, little has changed with this line. UP spent significant capital upgrading the route in the 1990s, although traffic has slowed considerably in the 2010s. Today, UP operates the Kansas Subdivision between Kansas City and Menoken, the Salina Subdivision between Menoken and Salina, the Sharon Springs Subdivision between Salina and Sharon Springs, and the Limon Subdivision from Sharon Springs to Denver.

Located east of Belvue along US Highway 24, this deck plate girder bridge crosses Deep Creek. The previous bridge at this location was likely a wooden trestle. In 1905, the bridge would be reconstructed with a 50-foot deck plate girder span, approached by a 35-foot deck plate girder span on the west and a 30-foot deck plate girder span on the east. These spans were fabricated by the American Bridge Company, which fabricated many bridges for the Union Pacific Railroad throughout the first half of the 20th Century. The entire bridge would be set onto concrete substructures. In 1938, the Paxton-Vierling Iron Works of Omaha, Nebraska would fabricate an additional 30-foot steel stringer span for the east end of the bridge, and a new east abutment would be constructed. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable ans easy to construct. The bridge also utilizes a ballast deck, typical for Union Pacific bridges. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Builders and build dates	Plaques
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

UP Deep Creek Bridge (Belvue)

Belvue, Pottawatomie County, Kansas